Graffiti on two sides of a boulder in Death Valley National Park is from 2019 and 2020, marked “Steve & Lacy”. The National Parks Service is seeking a man from Grand Forks, B.C., in connection with the graffiti. (US National Parks Service)

U.S. officials look for B.C. man suspected of vandalizing Death Valley National Park

Rangers believe the man travelled with a dog named Lacy on his way to an off-road race

On a trip through the hellishly harsh Death Valley National Park in early 2020, Steve and Lacy allegedly left an illegal stamp on the desert in California.

According to a press release from the United States’ National Parks Service (NPS), rangers suspect an individual from Grand Forks, B.C., was involved in vandalizing rock faces, buildings and other infrastructure with graffiti that reads in part “Steve & Lacy.” The messages left indicate that the individual visited the park during lunar eclipses in January 2019 and 2020.

Rangers believe the individual travelled with a dog named Lacy on his way to an event called King of the Hammers – an off-road race in Johnson Valley, Cali. Graffiti and other forms of damage to parks are illegal, and the “Steve & Lacy” tag was found on at least five different sites within the park.

“It is heartbreaking to see treasures like Death Valley National Park get damaged by intentional acts such as these,” said Supt. Mike Reynolds in a release. “We ask park visitors to help us find those who should be held responsible, and thank hard working park rangers for efforts to prevent further damage.”

The NPS says that the most recent tags in Death Valley are linked to graffiti incidents that occurred last year.

The park’s rangers are asking the public for help in their investigation. Tips can be submitted anonymously to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB). Their tip line can be reached via call or text at: 888-653-0009; online at www.nps.gov/ISB and click “Submit a Tip,” or emailed to nps_isb@nps.gov.

National parks in the United States and Canada are closed right now due to COVID-19, but public areas are still being monitored.